US regains crown as the top choice for studying abroad
The US has regained its top position as the preferred destination for Indian students studying abroad, with 18.84% of respondents saying they would like to study there, closely followed by Canada at 17.85%. High-quality education and job prospects...
The United States has regained its position as the top choice for Indian students aspiring to study abroad, edging out Canada, which was in first place last year, a new survey has revealed.
Around 18.84% of learners cited the US as their top choice, followed closely by Canada at 17.85%, according to upGrad Study Abroad's annual survey Transnational Education Report 2.0, shared exclusively with ET.
Despite the long waiting time for visas, the high quality of education and job prospects continue to draw Indian students to the US. Meanwhile, Canada's flexible permanent residency (PR) policies and strong higher education system make it a popular choice. Germany was the third most preferred country (13.21%), followed by the UK (11.34%).
Nearly 45% of the respondents said they were willing to explore beyond the traditional education hubs, with countries such as Poland, Taiwan, Belarus and South Africa gaining traction among Indian aspirants. "It has become somewhat of a fad to study in places such as the US, Canada, UK, etc. but these countries are not ready to accommodate so many Indians, which, at different points, leads to visa rejections," said Ankur Dhawan, president, upGrad Abroad. "Some, after studies, are having to resort to menial jobs. While language is sometimes a constraint in places like France, Finland, Belarus, etc., what's going in their favour is that they are very accommodative in terms of visa or PR access."
Indian students going abroad for higher education recorded a six-year high in 2022 at 750,365, according to the education ministry data, a testimony to growing aspirations for a foreign degree, not just in the major metros but in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and beyond. Access to high-quality education and global job opportunities remain the main reason for Indian students choosing foreign universities for higher education.
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The survey had a sample size of more than 1,000 respondents from over 200 cities (tier 1-3) across the country.
Blended learning, with students starting studying online and then shifting to on-campus learning, saw a surge after Covid-19 and is the second most common study mode after the traditional on-campus education. In the survey, 67% respondents gave a positive response when asked whether they would prefer to study in a blended mode abroad given similar outcomes such as post-study work visa and permanent residency.
